Applications Now Accepted for Lawrenceville Alumni-Student Mentorship Program

Malin Phelan ’23

Ingrid Guo ’21 founded the Women in Business at Lawrenceville Club (WIB@L) only two years ago and it and has since grown to be one of Lawrenceville’s largest student organizations, and the biggest all-female club on campus. Guo remembers “scoping the room at another business club meeting when I first came to Lawrenceville, wondering: Why am I one of the only females in the room? This disappointed question sparked me to launch Women in Business at Lawrenceville.”

Personally, I’ve been lucky to have been a part of the club since its beginning as a communications director during my Second Form year. My roles have included running club meetings, holding topic discussions, working to create the club Instagram (@lvillewib), and writing blog posts for the website. This past year the club has held a wide variety of events, including opportunities for club members as well as ones that have been extended to the whole school.

WIB@L focuses on the business world, but also on female roles in an array of industries. One way we’ve worked towards this has been the creation of the Alumni-Student Mentorship program, which pairs current students - boys and girls - with graduates of Lawrenceville as mentors. We piloted the program this year, with ten participants selected through an application process monitored by our club advisor, School chief financial officer Ben Hammond.

I applied this past year and was selected. I was paired with a mentor, Kate Gulbrandsen ’14 (account executive at Xandr), who I’ve met with monthly. We’ve discussed a wide variety of topics, including leadership experiences, resume writing, and breaking into the business world. As a mentee, I’ve gained valuable insight into the business world, as well as had meaningful discussions about what it means to be a female in certain environments.

Yee Xin Cher ‘22, who was placed into the program in the entrepreneurship field, says that “after meeting with my mentor [Sage Disch ‘09, a partner at Sourland Mountain Spirits] this past year, I’ve learned a lot from his work experiences. Even though we come from very different backgrounds, we along really well from our common interest in entrepreneurship as well as our Lawrenceville experience.”

Current Lawrenceville students, male and female, can sign up for the 2021-22 mentorship program on our website. For those looking for more, our website contains updates on events, as well as blogs written by members. Blogs, published each Friday, have covered female leadership, business news, book reviews, and more. Follow us on Instagram to stay updated on our initiatives as we continue to offer exciting opportunities and events.

For additional information, please contact Lisa M. Gillard Hanson, director of Public Relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.